The 6 Best Virtual Reality (VR) Systems to Buy in 2017

Virtual Reality is still not a mainstream thing in many parts of the world but since Oculus Rift made it into the world, VR technology has grabbed a lot of attention and many of you might be wondering which VR headset available in the market is the best. Here are the 6 best VR headsets you might want to invest in.

Modern VR headsets go under one of two categories: Mobile or tethered. Mobile headsets are boxes with lenses into which you place your smartphone. The lenses split the screen into two images for your eyes, turning your smartphone into a VR device. On the other hand, Tethered headsets like the Oculus Rift, HTC Vive, and PlayStation VR are physically hooked to PCs or Gaming station in the case of the PlayStation VR.

First among the 6 VR headsets you should consider is definitely Oculus Rift. Ever since its Kickstarter campaign, the VR world has been around Oculus. The device comes with best features. Not only are you getting a powerful VR headset sporting technology such as integrated headphones and a display for each eye, it uses future-proof tech and features, therefore users don’t need to worry about its relevance for years to come. Oculus Rift costs about $600.

The second one is HTC Vive. HTC Vive does things that other VR headsets in the market don’t. HTC Vive lets you roam around while it is on your head, tracking your movements as well as what you’re looking at. The package has a headset, two motion controllers, and two base stations for defining a “whole-room” VR area. The VIVE uses one of the best technologies and is the only VR that tracks your movements. However, the technology comes with a price tag of $800, which is a bit steep. You also need to make sure your PC meets minimum requirements to work with HTC Vive. HTC recommends at least an Intel Core i5-4590 CPU and a GeForce GTX 970 GPU.

The third one is PlayStation VR. First demoed at GDC 2014 as Sony’s Project Morpheus, PlayStation VR is on sale now. As the name suggests, you should have a PlayStation 4 to play your games on PlayStation VR headset. Sony has signed on more than 230 development houses to create VR contents. These studios, range from small indie operations to big names like EA. For now, You can only play proprietary titles on it, like Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, but the theater mode lets you play any PS4 games as though you were sitting in front of a large screen. The PlayStation VR comes with a relatively reasonable price tag of $399. If you already own a PlayStation 4, PSVR is the best choice for you.

If you want more affordable VR headset that is compatible with your Windows 10 PC, you may want to wait for a while. Microsoft recently announced partnerships with multiple hardware manufacturers to offer a variety of Windows 10-compatible VR headsets. According to Microsoft, the headsets will start at $299, and the confirmed partners are Acer, Asus, Dell, HP, and Lenovo.

If you don’t want to shell out a lot of money for the real VR headsets, then your best option is mobile VR.

The first and most compelling among the best 3 mobile VR is Samsung’s Gear VR. The only catch is you need a compatible Samsung Galaxy smartphone. The Gear VR has controls built into the headset, and a pass-through connector for keeping your phone charged. Samsung collaborated with Oculus to build the Gear’s software ecosystem. You can use Samsung Gear VR for anything from browsing Netflix to playing games. The Samsung Gear VR costs $100.

In the VR arena, Google also has its own share and Google’s DayDream View is another Mobile VR headset that just costs below $100. However, Resolution depends on what smartphone you use with the headset. Unlike, GEAR VR, you can use a range of smartphones with Google’s Daydream View, which makes it a suitable choice for those who don’t own a Gear VR-compatible Galaxy smartphone. Smartphones that is compatible with Daydream View includes Huawei Mate 9 Pro, ZTE Axon 7, Google Pixel, Motorola Moto Z and Asus ZenFone AR.

Google’s Cardboard is the final and clear choice if you just want to experience the wonder of VR without shelling out truckloads of money. Google Cardboard actually changed the VR industry with a few pieces of cardboard and two lens, that can house your smartphone with a supporting app. Unlike other VR headsets, Google Cardboard is held to your face with your hands rather than with a strap. Over five million Google Cardboard headsets have shipped in different forms.